Chicken taquitos are nothing new. Most of us have had the frozen store bought taquitos at some point in our lives (or maybe that was just my childhood). I’ve seen homemade versions of taquitos floating around for a while and have even tried a few. They were good, but not special enough to make again. Maybe it was the chipotle ranch description of this recipe that made me think to give homemade taquitos another chance or maybe it was the thought of having some type of munchy food to snack on throughout the weekend, either way…I’m happy I gave Mr. taquito a second chance.
Hands down, what sets this version apart from other versions is the chipotle ranch dressing. I could not get enough of this dressing. Even today, I’m trying to think of other things I can make to incorporate more chipotle ranch. The dressing is not only served alongside the taquito, but it is added to the chicken filling. For those that are wondering how spicy this dish really is, my 16 month old son ate the chicken, but I would advise against serving additional dressing to the kiddos. Instead, I would recommend a milder salsa, some guacamole, or even just sour cream. This was our actual meal for a lazy Saturday, but it could easily serve as an appetizer for your next party or could be frozen for later lunch and dinner options throughout the week.
Ingredients
- For the Chipotle Ranch Dressing:
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3/4 cup mayo
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3/4 cup sour cream
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2 to 3 canned chipotle peppers plus 1 tablespoon of the sauce
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1 tablespoon lime juice
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small bunch of chives
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small handful of cilantro
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1 garlic clove
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1/2 teaspoon salt
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1/4 teaspoon pepper
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1/4 to 1/2 cup buttermilk
- For the Taquitos:
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6 oz cream cheese, softened
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2/3 cup Chipotle Ranch Dressing
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2 teaspoons chili powder
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1 teaspoon cumin
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1/2 medium onion, diced
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2 garlic cloves, minced
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Handful of cilantro, chopped
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4 cups cooked, shredded chicken
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2 cups shredded cheese ( A used a cheddar and Monterrey cheese blend)
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2 dozen corn ( or flour) tortillas
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
- Mix together the cream cheese, chipotle ranch dressing, chili powder, cumin, onion, garlic and cilantro until uniform.
- Fold in the chicken and shredded cheese until blended.
- If using corn tortillas, working 3 at a time, microwave for 15 to 20 seconds on a plate covered with plastic wrap. Spoon around 3 tablespoons of filling into the lower third of each tortilla. Roll each tortilla tightly and place seem side down on the baking sheet.
- If freezing, stop here. Place the pan(s) into the freezer and freeze solid.
- Bake 15 to 20 minutes (25 minutes if frozen) until crispy and lightly browned.
- Serve with additional chipotle ranch.
Source: Confections of a Foodie Bride, originally adapted from Our Best Bites
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